


Restless

by Katsuko



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Family, Gen, M/M, One Shot, Reunions, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-14
Updated: 2011-02-14
Packaged: 2017-10-15 16:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/162529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsuko/pseuds/Katsuko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You do what you have to for the one you love, even if he'll never know how you feel. One shot tie-in/AU sequel to Apollymi's "Our Farewell" from December 2005</p>
            </blockquote>





	Restless

**Author's Note:**

> This is my solo contribution as a follow-up/bridge between Eternal SailorM (Apollymi)'s story **Our Farewell** and our Dragons of the Moon piece **Aquarius**. This story picks up at a turning point in OF and voids the end to that story; in a sense, this is an alternate universe that spins off from that point and into the Aquarius universe.

He was starting to wonder if he should have made Malik stay up in the remnants of the temple, especially since he'd had to keep the younger boy from falling three times in the forty-five minutes it took to climb down into the abyss. But he hadn't been able to tell him 'no,' Malik had actually seemed aware when he told him what he planned to do. It was better than that blank stare... one which Bakura Ryou now had as well.

And Jounouchi Katsuya wanted to rid both his friends of that expression.

Still, this would be much easier if the Egyptian would stay within the beam of the flashlight. "Malik-chan?" he called, turning towards the last spot he'd seen the other blond. Really, Isis would kill him and hide the body if he managed to lose her little brother.

"Hm?" Ah, there he was, just behind him and to the left.

"Stay close. We don't know if there are anymore pits down here."

"Okay," Malik replied, sounding as if he was losing his focus again. Jounouchi sighed, turning the beam back to the floor. The only way he was finding anything down here was to focus on the ground. He could still hear Malik, so he kept his gaze where the light fell.

It took nearly twenty minutes of searching to turn up the first item; not the one he was looking for, but he picked it up anyway. He had a feeling - call it instinct, perhaps - that the items would be needed somewhere down the line, and he wasn't one to mess with destiny and fate. He had just slipped the item into his bag when he heard a scraping behind him, almost as if a chain was being dragged. Jounouchi was about to call for Malik again when he heard a crash; something like a large object being smacked against the stone floor.

"Malik-chan?" he called, keeping his voice at a lower pitch than he'd normally have used to call for someone; if there was anything down here with them, he didn't want its approach covered by his voice. There was no answer from the other boy, just that scraping and banging sound again. Then he heard the complaining.

"Stupid hunk of... I know you're in there... don't make me use this...." Each break was punctuated by the scrape-and-bang that had first caught his attention. Jounouchi could almost swear it was Malik's voice, mixed a tiny bit with that darkness that had been in him prior to the end of Battle City. Drawing a breath, he turned the flashlight towards the direction of the sound...

...to see Malik trying to pry the pieces out of the Sennen Puzzle with the blade end of the Rod. "Malik-chan, what the fuck are you doing?"

It was kind of funny to watch the Egyptian trying to hide both items behind his back without stabbing himself. "I didn't do it! What Puzzle? I don't see any Sennen Items here!"

"Where did you find those?" Jounouchi asked, quirking one eyebrow. Malik gave up on trying to hide the two items and purposely dropped the Puzzle to the floor. He actually pouted when all it did was bounce before settling on its side.

"Well... I found the stupid pharaoh's Puzzle there," he pointed to a spot off to his left, "my Rod over there," another spot closer to where they were standing, "and the other item here."

"Which item?" Malik glanced up at where the ceiling would be if the temple hadn't collapsed in upon itself after the duel earlier in the day. "Malik-chan, empty your pockets."

"You're mean," the other blond grumbled before pulling the Eye out of his left pocket. That was four of the items accounted for, including the Scales in Jounouchi's bag. Still not the one he was looking for, though.

"I'm not making you put them back, how's that for mean?" He was almost amused at the way Malik's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Just help me find the rest."

"We're keeping all of them?" Malik asked, surprised. "I thought you only wanted-"

"I do," Jounouchi interrupted, "but I think we'll need everything at some point. Call it a hunch." He turned away from the odd look the Egyptian was giving him, shining the flashlight around to the corners where Malik had indicated he'd found the three items he was holding (well, after picking up the Puzzle again). There really was only one Sennen item he was interested in retrieving, only one that he had undertaken this journey to find. But that feeling in the pit of his stomach, in the back of his mind, demanded that he take all seven out of here with him.

Malik began searching as well, still giving Jounouchi looks now and again. The only other thing he said before falling silent was, "Maybe Katsuya is a seer, no?" It didn't sound like he was addressing Jounouchi, so the Japanese youth didn't answer. Another fifteen minutes turned up the next item, which Malik draped around his neck before they continued. it was nearly an hour later that they located the final two items, both of which Jounouchi slipped into his bag, the one he'd been seeking in the first place on top.

"Why?" Malik asked only after the hour climb back out of the ruins, slowed somewhat by the weight of the gold they were carrying. Jounouchi didn't answer for a long time, simply climbing into the Jeep he'd snagged the keys for when he snuck out of the Ishtar residence to begin with. The Egyptian had almost given up on an answer when his companion finally spoke.

"Because Atem's choice shouldn't have been the final word for everyone," he said quietly. "Atem was ready to leave; not everyone may have felt the same."

The ride back to the house was silent. It was only after they'd returned the key to its place at the door that Malik finally replied: "Thank you, Katsuya."

No other words were needed.  


______________________________________________________________________________________

Getting the items on the plane was relatively easy; getting the Ring to Ryou without anyone else seeing him was going to be tough.

Jounouchi leaned down to open his bag, catching sight of the gold gleaming in the light for a brief moment before closing it again. Upon return to the Ishtar home he'd repacked his bag carefully, placing the Tauk, the Scales and the Puzzle (which he'd taken from Malik for safe-keeping since the other boy seemed intent on taking it apart) close to the bottom beneath his clothes. The Ring he left on top; he didn't want to dig for it when he was trying to be discreet in returning it.

Now that they were on the plane, he was not closer to a solution on how to give the Ring to his friend. And Ryou was staring out the window blankly, watching the clouds and Kaiba's Blue Eyes Jet as if he didn't really see them. Chances were that he didn't.

Jounouchi glanced over to see Yuugi, Anzu and Honda engaged in a conversation about what they were all going to do now that this chapter in their lives was closing. It looked fairly obvious to him that Yuugi and Anzu were going to give a relationship a shot; Honda would probably keep chasing girls for a while until one finally gave in or Nosoka Miho moved back to Domino. He wasn't terribly concerned about the future at the moment, even if that nagging feeling that the Sennen items were going to be important later hadn't faded; all he was worried about was getting the Ring back in the proper hands.

An idea struck him. It was crazy enough to actually work.

Nodding to himself, Jounouchi picked up his bag, undid the zipper partially, and crossed the aisle to where Ryou was sitting. Acting nonchalant, he leaned down and offered a faint smile. "Hey, Bakura?" His heart clenched at the slightly deadened look in the other's dark brown eyes. Ignoring the pain it caused he continued, "Any room in your overhead? I keep kicking my bag."

"Yeah," Ryou said, no inflection in his voice. "I don't mind, Jounouchi-kun." It was frightening how dead the boy sounded, almost as frightening as the glare he shot at Yuugi. Jounouchi shuddered to think what might have happened in their lives if he had ignored the risks and left the Sennen items where they had fallen.

"Thanks," he said instead, lifting the bag to place in the overhead compartment and purposely letting it fall from his grasp. Some of the contents spilled out onto the seat. "Damn it. Sorry, Bakura."

"It's okay." There was still no inflection in the words. "I'll help you pick this up." Jounouchi barely bit back a grin as the other boy started gathering up clothes and souvenirs, stuffing them back in the bag only to pause when his fingers brushed cool gold. "This... is mine?"

It had been a question, but Jounouchi chose to take it as a statement. "Oops. Guess I must've accidently shoved it in my bag when we were packing. Sorry." He finished gathering up the clothing that had fallen from his bag and zipped it before standing. He shoved it into the overhead compartment and offered a secretive smile to Ryou. He turned away, but not too soon to catch the brightening of the other's eyes and the faint smile that crossed his lips.

Jounouchi sighed as he settled back in his seat. He'd done the right thing, he knew it in his heart. Even if it was risky, even if there was no way he'd ever really be thanked for what he'd done, it was worth it.

Anything for the one you love, after all.  


______________________________________________________________________________________

Ryou was quick to make his way to the plane's restroom after Jounouchi walked away, his shirt wrapped around the Ring and clutched close to his chest. He'd lost Bakura before; he wasn't about to risk anything now.

Kicking the door closed behind him, slamming the lock into place, he unwrapped the Ring and slipped it around his neck. _Bakura?_

There was a long silence, so long that Ryou was almost convinced that the fall had destroyed whatever had been left of the thief king; then a quiet, _Little one?_ came almost tentatively through the link.

Everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours seemed to catch up with Ryou almost at once and he slid down the door, settling on the floor with his head on his knees before starting to cry silently. _Oh god, Bakura, yamimine, I was so scared. I thought you were gone, I thought the damned Yuugis ruined everything, I thought--_

 _Shhh...._ The sound whispered into his mind and he could feel Bakura's presence wrap around him protectively. _Everything is okay now, little one. I'm here; I'm not going away. I promise.  
_  
Ryou slowly calmed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand after his tears finally ceased. _What happened?_ he managed to get out after a moment. _You were right there with me and then--_

 _I think,_ Bakura replied quietly, his presence still wrapped around his other half in a possessive embrace, _that when whatever happened happened, I was dragged back into the Ring. I... I don't remember much besides darkness until you called to me just now, Little One._

Ryou smiled slightly; he could hear the capitalization on the words and knew that it was going to be his name from now on. _But you're back now?_ he asked, worry flowing through their mental link. _You aren't going to leave me again?_

Bakura's reply was accompanied by a fierce mental hug: _Never, Little One. I am yours and you are mine; nothing is ever going to drag me away from you._  


______________________________________________________________________________________

 _Yamimine, are you sure?_

 _Positive, Little One,_ Bakura said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. _You're a teenage boy. **I** was a teenage boy once, too, you know. And it doesn't bother me that you're looking at other people._ He paused for a moment before adding, _Even though I'm sexier._

Ryou chuckled to himself then looked around quickly to see if any of his friends was looking. It would seem strange to them if they caught him laughing at nothing. Fortunately the only people around right now were Jounouchi and Anzu, and they seemed to be caught up in their own conversation.

Bakura had come a long way as well; the former thief king was a far cry from the broken spirit that Ryou had first encountered when he'd received the Ring so long ago. If anything, he would guess that the Egyptian was closer to the man he'd been in the distant past, and Ryou was pleased to know that he'd had a part in restoring the one he loved most.

However, he was slowly becoming frustrated. He loved Bakura with everything he was, but sometimes he would see a pretty girl or a very attractive boy and wonder what they'd be like in bed. It was driving him crazy; he didn't want to be unfaithful in any way to his thief.

 _Yes, you certainly are,_ Ryou agreed. _But you're positive you don't mind if I...?_

His answer was an annoyed sigh. _Little One, if I say I don't mind if you sleep with someone that means I honestly don't mind if you sleep with someone,_ he replied. _It might help **both** of us get a little more sleep at night if you do, actually._

 _Thank you, yamimine._ Ryou sent a purely mental hug to his other half (who laughed quietly before blocking the link ever so slightly) then turned his gaze to the dance floor. Anzu and Jounouchi had wandered off somewhere, probably to see what was taking Yuugi so long to get there, and that suited Ryou just fine.

He had permission to get laid, and that's what he intended to do.

 _the end... for now_


End file.
